Statewide Physical Fitness Assessment Results - School Year 2016-17 - Fitness Testing Data Interpretation and Guidance

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

Statewide Physical Fitness Assessment Results for School Year 2016-17 provide context for interpreting Illinois fitness testing outcomes and for using fitness testing data to improve student performance and health. The document summarizes participation and percentages meeting Healthy Fitness Zone targets across aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. It explains improved learning, behavior, and health effects, and outlines how physical education teachers and school leaders can use assessments to set goals, monitor progress, and adopt enhanced P.E. programming.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

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Statewide Physical Fitness Assessment Results for School Year 2016-17

What are the SY16-17 statewide physical fitness assessment results?

What are the improved student outcomes associated with increased physical fitness?

How will physical fitness assessments help schools optimize student performance and health outcomes?

What if my school’s results were poor?

How can I best support my students in achieving a health-enhancing level of fitness?

How as a school leader can I help support my P. E. teachers in adopting enhanced P. E. programming?

Statewide Physical Fitness Assessment Results School Year 2016-17 In addition to sharing the School Year 2016-17 results, we wanted to provide context to help you interpret these results, and provide guidance on how you can use fitness testing data to help your students, physical education (P. E. ) teachers, school and community maximize the benefits of physical fitness. 1) What are the SY16-17 statewide physical fitness assessment results? With results from 69%(2,475) of the 3,572 Illinois schools required to report: 􀁸 63% of 5th, 7th, and 10th graders across the state met the Healthy Fitness Zone for aerobic capacity, using either the PACER or Mile Run tests 􀁸 65% of 5th, 7th, and 10th graders across the state met the Healthy Fitness Zone for muscular strength, using the Push-up test 􀁸 79% of the 5th, 7th, and 10th graders across the state met the Healthy Fitness Zone for muscular endurance, using the Curl-up test 􀁸 72% of the 5th, 7th, and 10th graders across the state met the Healthy Fitness Zone for flexibility, using either the Back-saver Sit and Reach or Trunk Lift test The Illinois physical fitness assessment data is available by school, district, and county under Quick Links at [https://www.isbe.net/EnhancedPhysicalEducation](https://www.isbe.net/EnhancedPhysicalEducation). 2) What are the improved student outcomes associated with increased physical fitness? Better learners: Physically fit children show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active. Preliminary results from a 2010 study suggest that students in the Fitnessgram“Healthy Fitness Zone” for cardiorespiratory fitness were two to four times more likely to meet or exceed the Illinois Standardized Achievement Test (ISAT) reading and math test requirements than students who were not. Better behavior: An analysis of Texas fitness testing results found that higher physical fitness achievement was associated with better school attendance rates and fewer disciplinary incidents. Better health: Being physically fit and active can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Physical fitness also improves physiological function. For example, upper body strength (muscular strength test) is important to maintaining functionality as we age. Strong abdominal muscles promote good posture and lower back health (endurance test), joint flexibility (flexibility test) can help reduce injuries, and research indicates that acceptable levels of aerobic capacity (aerobic capacity test) are specifically associated with a lower risk of chronic disease and other health problems in adults. 3) How will physical fitness assessments help schools optimize student performance and health outcomes? Physical fitness assessments serve two purposes: 1) to teach students how to assess their fitness levels, set goals for improvement and monitor progress in reaching their goals, and 2) measure student growth and program effectiveness as it pertains to State Goal 20, which is for students to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness through continual self-assessment. P. E. teachers can use physical fitness assessment data to a) ensure students meet State Goal 20, b) reinforce goals around teaching students the impact of fitness/physical activity on brain function and health, c) inform and adapt instruction (e.g. if students are not improving on a particular assessment, adjust approach to better meet their needs), and d) focus on developing physically literate students that have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop life-long skills for enhancing fitness and health. 4) What if my school’s results were poor? It’s important to remember that many things influence fitness levels, including the community environment, family life, heredity, body composition, and more. In fact, the understanding th

FAQs

What do SY16-17 statewide physical fitness assessment results cover?

They report results from Illinois schools required to participate, including the share of 5th, 7th, and 10th graders meeting Healthy Fitness Zone targets across aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

How does increased physical fitness relate to student outcomes?

Physically fit children tend to show greater attention, faster cognitive processing, and better standardized academic test performance. Higher fitness achievement is also linked to better attendance and fewer disciplinary incidents, and physical fitness reduces risk for chronic diseases.

How can schools use fitness testing data to improve programs?

Schools can use the data to help students assess fitness, set and monitor improvement goals, and measure growth and program effectiveness. Physical education teachers can adapt instruction when students are not improving and focus on developing physically literate students.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Aria